


The Needs of the Many

by ImaChair5050



Series: The Red Shadow Saga [1]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Assassins & Hitmen, Explicit Language, Gore, Imprisonment, Insanity, Interrogation, Mystery, Psychological Trauma, Sacrifice, Threats of Violence, Torture, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-22
Updated: 2016-11-22
Packaged: 2018-09-01 10:03:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8620234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImaChair5050/pseuds/ImaChair5050
Summary: No matter how far they may run, no matter how well they hide and no matter how hard they may fight back, he will find them and when he does, may god have mercy on their souls. "Fear the Red Shadow..."





	1. Chapter 1

_**War Journal** _

_**T-Minus four days until my crusade begins.** _

_I'm sick. Not sick as in ill, but sick as in "sick and tired"._

_There are many things I'm sick of right now. I'm sick of rain. I'm sick of stubbing my toe on the skirting boards. I'm sick of mud. I'm sick of those damned birds waking me up at 4AM every morning with their chorus._

_You get the idea._

_But right now, there are two things that make me sick to the teeth more than anything else._

_1) Robotnik and the Dark Egg Legion_

_2) The Freedom Fighters not really doing anything to stop him._

_I guess I had better explain (for future reference). For a while now, my compatriots and I have lived in a small remote village of Knothole. Sounds peaceful, right? However, this is certainly not the case, as we constantly find ourselves at war with that psycho Doctor Robotnik and his armies. Thankfully, on most days it's easy to forget that our lives are at risk, as he doesn't usually attack Knothole directly, instead choosing to focus on an off-shoot of the Freedom Fighters._

_Today, however, things were different._

_Of course, things started out like any other day. I got up, had my breakfast, listened to some music, the usual stuff you do on an off day._

_And it's about here where everything changed. One minute everything was nice and peaceful. The next, utter chaos. It turns out that Robotnik had somehow found a way to overpower NICOLE's defensive systems, allowing him and his forces to attack us. Of course, the Freedom Fighters were able to beat him back (and I doubt he'll be trying that again), but by that time, the damage had already been done._

_Thankfully, the attack hasn't killed anyone (that I know of), but it has put an awful lot of people in the hospital._

_Usually, I'd begin to wrap things up around here, writing something clichéd like "I hope this war ends soon"._

_But something else happened today._

_You see, someone near and dear to me was hospitalized today._

_Of course, it's nothing more than minor concussion and she should be back to normal very soon, but this whole thing has left the both of us a bit shaken. It has also left me feeling shocked, saddened and most of all, absolutely livid._

_As you can imagine, when the attack was eventually repelled, I went straight to the Freedom Fighters and demanded to know just what had happened and why the Freedom Fighters hadn't shut Robotnik down already._

_They just gave me the usual crap about how they were always trying to stop him, but would never use lethal force, as it would "make them like him"._

_Bullshit._

_Sure, they do try and stop Robotnik wherever he happens to be, I'll give them that. But the main problem here is that when they stop him, he only gets back up again. In fact, this whole war is continuing just because the Freedom Fighters don't have the balls to put him down._

_In fact, I don't think anyone else here has the guts to do what's necessary to end this bloody struggle._

_Well, if they won't do anything about it, I'll just have to do it myself._

_Someone once told me that in any situation, one being can make all the difference. That's what I intend to do over the coming weeks: make a difference._

_It's time to take Robotnik and his cronies out of the equation. Permanently._

_All I need to do before then is go up to Station Square and get a few "supplies", if you will._

_Of course, I still plan on giving the Freedom Fighters the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps they are indeed right with their mantra, just not in the execution of it. I'll avoid killing for now. But if the worst comes to the worst, I mustn't hold back. Not for anything._

_Anyway, I'd best end things here. I've got a lot of work to do._

_The next time I write in here, things should have begun to change._

_Hopefully, for the better..._


	2. Chapter 2

_"Nobody cared who I was until I put on the mask"_

"Hey, have you ever wondered why we're still bothering to do this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Simple: We get up every morning, we eat a tasteless breakfast and then we're sent out to do a collection of mundane tasks until the end of the day before heading back to base, where the whole process starts again. Look, what I'm getting at is why we're still bothering to do this. We've been doing the same things for almost a year and not once have I heard any of you complaining about it".

"It's because we aren't bothered. If we hadn't signed up in the first place, we probably would have been roboticized".

"He does have a point, though. I mean, couldn't we ask for a transfer to someplace that actually sees action, like the Death Egg?"

"Huh. Good luck with that. Besides, they mostly use mechs as the main form of defence up there".

The attention of legionnaire team Epsilon-2 soon returned to their task at hand. Upon reaching today's briefing, their senior officer had informed them that it was their turn this week to go on recon duty, with the task of scouting out any and all key Freedom Fighter locations. So far, recon teams that had been sent on these missions had either been attacked and overpowered by a team of Freedom Fighters, or had returned to base with absolutely no new information for the senior officers.

So far, only one team had ever been successful in bringing back new information, and it was this new information that eventually led to the most recent attack on Knothole.

Since then, the Freedom Fighters had taken extra measures to ensure the safety of any and all civilians, such as re-enforcing the defensive shields that surrounded the village.

However, despite these new safety measures, both sides still new that there could still be a way in. They just needed to find it.

This has been the fourth time that the five man team of Epsilon-2 had headed out to try and find this way in.

Each time, they had taken the exact same route into the forest surrounding the village, following a small, hidden dirt path that cut through the vegetation, under the cover of a lush, thick canopy of trees, with thin rays of sunshine glaring through the leaves.

Despite still being familiar with the route, they still kept their energy weapons at the ready, just in case they suddenly found themselves face to face with an infamous blue hedgehog. Thankfully for them, they had so far been lucky with not finding themselves in the presence of Sonic. However, they knew it was only a matter of time.

Very soon, the five arrived in a small clearing.

"Alright. Our target is just a few clicks away, now. If anyone needs to take a quick break, now would be the time to do so". The leader, 2-0, said to his men.

"Oh finally! I've been needing a piss since we entered this damned forest" 2-4 remarked, trying to prevent himself from having a bladder spasm.

"Go in the bushes. Make it quick".

2-4 didn't need to be told twice as he quickly scuttled off into the undergrowth to do his business.

"What is it with that damn kid and his bladder?" Muttered 2-1.

"Well, he is still new to this thing. Cut him a little bit of slack, will you?"

* * *

_"Restoration at 98%"_

"Finally. Let's just hope that the updates I've installed in you prevent this from happening again".

During the attack on Knothole, one of the key targets had been the Headquarters of the Freedom Fighters, located on the outskirts of the village.

Even after bearing the brunt of the initial bombardment, it wasn't too long before the base had been flooded with legionnaires.

Fortunately, the Freedom Fighters were quickly able to re-secure their base before turning their attention to aiding Knothole. Unfortunately, both the fight and the bombardment had critically damaged the defensive systems beyond the point of repair.

Usually, this wouldn't be much of a problem for the Freedom Fighters. They had two of the greatest technical minds on the planet in the form of Rotor Walrus and Miles "Tails" Prower.

However, in the wake of the attack, they found themselves one genius short, as Rotor has been hospitalised for sustained injuries. It wasn't anything too serious and the walrus was due to make a full recovery, but this ultimately left Tails as the only one who could repair the base's systems.

The fact that he was essentially working solo didn't stop him, however. By this stage, he had already restored the forcefield that surrounded the base and the village, along with Nicole's A.I. He had even taken the opportunity to install brand new radar to replace the old one that was destroyed in the battle.

Even once he had finished the repairs to the defensive systems, he still had the task of designing extra defences, so as to prevent any repeat incidents.

By that time, Rotor would hopefully have made a full recovery, allowing the two to complete the job faster. But before then, Tails had decided to get ahead on the second task.

So, using one of his specialised programs to restore the computer system in the base, the fox found himself sitting in the war room, deep in thought about how he could improve the defences.

Before him was a massive sheet of blank paper.

He scratched his chin, the gears turning in his head.

It wasn't too long before he came up with something, snapping his fingers the moment the idea entered his head.

"Sentry turrets" he muttered to himself as he shuffled his chair closer to the table before he began rapidly scribbling out a design, making calculations around the edge of the paper and muttering to himself as he went.

"Let's see here…a fully automatic electromagnetic sentry turret designed to stun legionnaires and destroy the electronics of any attacking forces. Total length of 914mm, including a barrel length 567mm. Total weight should roughly be around 65 pounds to allow for easy manoeuvrability. A variable fire rate ranging from 2,000 to 6,000…actually, make that 3,000 to 8,000 Rpm. Maximum fire velocity of roughly 3000 ft/sec should allow for a range over 1000m. Ammunition will be fed into the weapon via a disintegrating cartridge belt, able to carry up to 7,000 rounds. The ammunition itself will consist of small shells, roughly 7.6mm in diameter and 51mm in length. Once fired, the shells will break open, releasing a small electromagnetic charge significantly more powerful than that of a taser, but not powerful enough to kill."

He stopped to catch a break, staring that the huge sea of plans and calculations before him.

"I guess the major issue we have now is acquiring the necessary materials. Perhaps I can ask Sally if she-".

The fox's train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in!"

The war room door promptly swung open and Princess Sally Acorn, leader of the Freedom Fighters, came walking in.

"Oh, there you are! I was getting worried about you. According to Sonic, you didn't even bother having breakfast this morning".

"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to get the rest of the work out of the way as soon as possible. He did actually come by about an hour ago to check up on me".

"Huh. Well it was nice of him to tell me"

"I'm hearing sarcasm in your voice"

"No duh, Sherlock. Anyway, how goes the work?"

"Yeah, it's going pretty well. I've pretty much replaced all the parts that needed replacing and I'm now just letting the system do the rest of the work. I'm just passing the time by designing a few extra additions we can use to bolster defenses further".

It was at this point that the princess noticed the calculations and the diagrams Tails had drawn on the paper in front of him.

A confused and concerned look crossed her face.

The fox chuckled. "Don't worry, Sally. This is designed to stun, not kill. Besides, I couldn't make it kill if I wanted to: I'd have you and Sonic to go through".

Sally breathed a slight sigh of relief. "Well, that's alright. It's just that the use of guns always wigs me out".

"I understand. It's just that now it feels like we mustn't be afraid to push out our walls a bit further, if you catch my drift".

_"Restoration at 100%. All systems operational"_

"Ah, there we go"

As the huge computer screens all lit up, Tails rolled his chair over, coming to a halt in front of the keyboard.

"Nicole, you in there?"

The image of a feminine Lynx appeared on the screen, smiling happily.

"Good to hear from you again, Tails. Thanks for the upgrades, by the way. My processor's now running faster than ever before".

"That's good to hear. Can you please run a quick diagnostics scan to make sure that there's nothing wrong with the hardware I picked up?"

"Got it. Running diagnostics check now".

The image of the Lynx disappeared before being replaced with a small progress bar.

This bar quickly filled until it was at 100% just a few seconds later.

"Scan completed!" Declared Nicole, reappearing on the screen as the bar disappeared. "I'm happy to report that there are no issues to report with the operating systems".

"Sweet. Thanks, Nicole".

"Okay, now I'm impressed" Sally remarked. "What else did you do?"

"Well, asides from repairing Nicole and the operating system, I took the opportunity to refine and upgrade some of our auxiliary systems. Remember that radar we found that kept glitching out?"

"Gods, don't remind. But then again, I guess that's what happens what you get when you raid Robotnik's scrap pile".

"Heh. Yeah. But anyway, I found out what the main issues were, bought a whole pile of spare parts from my contact in Station Square, took the whole thing apart and rebuilt it from the ground up. Radar please, Nicole".

The lynx nodded, her image being replaced by that of a large radar.

"Currently, it's capable of picking up and identifying any hostile forces within half a mile, allowing us to use it as an early warning system. Not only that, but I've even started coming up with plans to boost the range of it up to-"

"Err, Tails?" Sally interjected.

"Yes?"

"We may have some company".

The princess pointed at the radar.

"Five bogies. Just a few hundred metres southeast".

The fox looked back up at the radar. Indeed, there were now five small dots flashing onscreen, located just southeast of the centre.

"Huh. Well, the radar works, anyway".

"I'd better contact Sonic".

Tails gave a relaxed wave of the hand. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. Besides, it could be anything. Perhaps just let Hershey and Geoffrey scout it out first. It'll let me trial the new cameras I installed into their body armour, anyway".

"Okay. So long as you know what you're doing".

"Good. I'll stay here and drop the forcefield for them".

* * *

_**War Journal** _

_**Day 1** _

_This day couldn't come around soon enough_

_For the last four days, I have pushed myself to the absolute limit, both physically and mentally, preparing for when this day finally came around._

_I'll admit: the preparation hasn't been easy. Hell, a day hasn't gone by without me thinking that this whole thing I'm preparing to do is completely fucking pointless._

_But if any of my past experiences have taught me anything, it's that one single being can change the outcome of any situation._

_Hell, nearly every day, the Freedom Fighters have proved that just a handful of people can stop an entire army._

_So if just a few non-lethal Eco-warriors can stop an army, then I ask just one question: what can someone like me do?_

_The answer?_

_A whole hell of a lot more._

_The time has come._

* * *

Geoffrey and Hershey had been enjoying a lovely day together before Tails had gone and contacted them in regards to a possible threat just outside the safe zone.

They had said to the fox that they could just as easily set Sonic on the issue, but he had replied that he didn't want to cause "too much of a ruckus".

Rather unfortunately, they could only agree with that statement.

As the couple walked towards the edge of the village, fully kitted out in their combat gear, they looked out at their surroundings, peering through the light blue tint of the forcefield.

As they walked, a small hole opened before them, allowing them to walk through the shielding.

This hole was quickly closed once the two were out of the safe zone.

"Alright Tails, we're out. Where do we go from here?"

"Just continue in the direction you're currently going. You'll know when you've arrived".

Geoffrey shrugged as he and his wife continued, moving further and further away from the safe zone.

Now, they wouldn't admit it to their peers, but being outside the safe zone always put them on edge. They knew that each time they left the safety of Knothole, they were running the risk of getting captured or worse.

But they knew that the best thing to do was to keep their heads down and focus on the mission.

As they continued walking they soon found themselves surrounded in lush plant life, with birds tweeting in the trees.

A stark contrast as to what they knew would happen if Robotnik won.

However, as the two continued walking, they heard the sound of chattering nearby.

The duo quickly came to a halt.

"I think we've found the bogies" Hershey whispered.

They continued on, much quieter now as the chattering gradually got louder.

Finally, as the two peered through the undergrowth, they found what they were looking for.

Five legionnaires were standing in a circle in the middle of a clearing, discussing some sort of strategy.

"For the last time, 2-1, the whole purpose of this mission is to gather any sort of information we can on the Freedom Fighters and their hideout"

"But we've done this run several times now and we've brought home nothing. How will this be any different?"

"Because we're going to be taking a risk, you dingbat! If we split up into smaller groups, we can cover more ground at a faster rate".

The two Freedom Fighters opted to switch on the suit cameras, pressing a small button on their left shoulder pads. The cameras flashed with a small red light. It was bright, but not bright enough to be noticed.

"Tails, this is Geoffrey. We have eyes on the bogies". The male skunk said into his communicator.

"Good. You should be seeing six...wait...wait, that can't be right".

"What?"

"According to the radar, there's now six unidentified contacts in the vicinity, but there were just five a moment ago".

"Obviously, there's something wrong with the radar, buddy. We're seeing five down here as well".

"Must be a glitch in the system. I'll be on that once everything's been sorted out on your end. You two just keep your eyes on those bogies in the meantime".

The attention of the two returned to monitoring the five. However, as they did so, they failed to notice a shadow passing over them.

"Wait a minute. What happens if we encounter the Hedgehog?" asked one of them.

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps you go up to him and shake his hand" Another replied.

"Are you being sarcast-"

"OF COURSE I'M BEING SARCASTIC!"

"And there he goes with the sarcasm, again" Remarked a third

"SHUT UP, OR SO HELP ME, I'LL-"

" **GUYS! GUYS! GUYS!** "Bellowed a fourth. " **CHILL THE FUCK OUT!** "

This shut them up, allowing the fourth to clear his throat.

"Look, I know you guys don't want to be here. I get that. I don't want to be here either. But if you really want to make it back in one piece, then I suggest that you shut up and- ** _AAAHH!_** "

He was cut off as a black shape suddenly dropped down from the forest canopy, grabbing hold of the legionnaire before disappearing back into the treetop.

"What the hell?!"

The other four legionnaires promptly raised their weapons in alarm, aiming them in the direction their colleague had gone off before being snatched up.

"2-2, do you copy?" Asked 2-0

No reply.

"Come in, 2-2. Are you there?"

Still no reply.

As the four remaining legionnaires slowly edged closer to danger, Hershey and Geoffrey watched on in shock, not believing what they had just seen.

"Uh, Tails?"

"Yeah?"

"I think we've found the sixth guy".

As if on cue, the two spotted a shadow passing over the four legionnaires.

"Can you get a good look at him?"

"Not at the moment, but you can expect that to change very soon".

As they watched, the four legionnaires began surveying the surroundings.

"ALRIGHT! WHOEVER YOU ARE, SHOW YOURSELF!" Bellowed 2-0.

"Big Mistake"

The remaining four legionnaires were caught off guard once again when the black shape reappeared, dropping out of the canopy again and landing on 2-3, rendering him unconscious with a boot to the face.

The remaining legionnaires and the two Freedom Fighters could now see the sixth person properly this time.

Standing before them was a figure, masculine in shape, dressed in what appeared to be a dark red and black combat suit, complete with a cape that went down to his ankles, thick combat gloves, a hood and a massive pair of boots. Around his waist was a utility belt, with each pouch containing all sorts of weapons and gadgets for any situation. On his face was what appeared to be some kind of customized gas mask, concealing most of his face. Even the lenses were tinted jet black.

However, the Freedom Fighters saw one vital part of the figure that the legionnaires couldn't see: attached to his back were a whole plethora of weapons. Firearms, knives and swords all placed in holsters.

"You wanted me...here I am". The figure growled, his voice clearly altered.

The three legionnaires, not wanting to be downed themselves, all quickly raised their weapons.

However, before they could do anything else, the figure quickly produced a small capsule from one of the pouches on his belt before throwing it at the ground, causing it to explode, releasing a bright flash of light, blinding the three.

The first thing legionnaire 2-1 felt after this was a massive boot rising up and kicking him right in his crotch. 2-4 was then greeted with the body mass of 2-1 flying into him, causing the duo to bash heads and render each other unconscious. However, it was 2-0 who received the nastiest surprise, as the cloak simply picked him up and just body slammed him to the ground before placing one of his boots against his head.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Hershey whispered.

"Whoever he is, I don't think he's messing around."

"Alright you little shit, start talking" The cloak growled. "What are you and your buddies doing out here?"

"Who the fuck are you?!" Spluttered the legionnaire.

"I'm the one who's going to break every bone in your body if it means getting info out of you. Talk!"

"Heh. You don't scare me. I ain't telling you anything" the legionnaire replied smugly.

"Oh really?"

The cloak removed his foot from the legionnaire's head before kneeling down and removing a pistol from a holster on his back, placing it at the back of the legionnaire's head.

His smugness quickly disappeared.

Hershey was about to leap out of the hiding place and stop him, but Geoffrey prevented her from doing so.

"Hang back. We don't know what this guy's capable of".

"Reconsidered yet?"

"Not worth it, man...not worth it." The Legionnaire muttered to himself. "Fine. I'll tell you everything I know."

"I knew you would" the cloak replied, placing the pistol back in its holster.

Much to the surprise of the two Freedom Fighters, the cloak suddenly looked over to where they were hiding and called out to them.

"You two might want to come out here and listen to what he's got to say"

Realizing that it was no use hiding, the two tentatively stepped out from their hiding spot.

"A bit over the top there, don't you think?" Geoffrey replied.

"So? I got this scumbag to talk".

The attention of the three soon returned to the situation at hand as they all stood over the downed legionnaire, the cloak turning him over so he could face the three.

"Talk. Now."

"Okay. We...My garrison recently got an extra surplus of armoured mechs and equipment from our higher-ups aboard the Death Egg-"

"Which garrison is that?"

"Shazamazon. Drago and Razor's garrison."

"Where's your base located?"

"It's not located in just one single spot. There are several smaller bases scattered around the region, each within ten miles of each other. We've got over half a million active legionnaires split into roughly twelve smaller groups, each one stationed at a different location and that's everything I know!"

"Everything?"

"...I pissed my pants until I was twelve".

"Losing my patience…" the cloak growled.

Before the cloak could pull out his pistol again, Geoffrey held an arm out, signalling for him to calm down.

"Look mate, I'm not sure how much longer we can keep this guy calm. For your sake, you'd better give us something we can use".

"Prisoners!" The legionnaire blurted out. "My garrison recently took prisoners from a small village within our region! They're due to be taken to Robotropolis for roboticisation!"

"When?"

"Just a few hours from now!"

This caught the attention of the three.

"Tails, this is Hershey. According to this legionnaire here, the Shazamazon legion garrison are due to transport a batch of prisoners to Robotropolis. What do you suppose we do?"

"The same thing we do every time: try and help them out of their jam. Is that all you've found out?"

The cloak shot a piercing glare at the soldier.

The completely terrified look on his face told the three that this was the most important piece of information that he knew.

"That's the most important piece. There's more, but we can discuss the rest later".

"Alright, get to HQ as soon as possible. I'll assemble the team and we can work out a plan".

The cloak looked down at the legionnaire.

"C-C-Can I go now?"

The cloak thought about this for a minute before simply replying "not exactly", following this up by punching the legionnaire right between the eyes, knocking him out cold.

"Alright, we're done here." Hershey said to her husband. "Let's go".

"I'm coming with you" The cloak said to them.

The two stopped.

They looked at the cloak. Then at each other. Then the cloak again.

"I'm sorry, what?" Asked Hershey.

"You heard me. If you're going to be heading into Robotropolis, then you're going to need all the help you can get".

The two shared a glance.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, mate" Geoffrey replied, lowering his voice. "Yes, you do indeed intend to help us out and we're damn thankful for any help, but our friends may not feel too comfortable working with someone who carries shooters".

The Cloak chuckled

"It's alright" he replied "The guns are only for show. I don't intent to fire them properly any time soon"

To prove a point, the cloak then removed a pistol from one of his holsters, pointed it up into the air and pulled the trigger.

They were greeted by just a single click.

"See? Empty!"

Geoffrey and Hershey shared another glance.

"Okay, we'll bite. We don't know who you are or where you came from, but our instincts are telling me that we can trust you. But in any case, you're going to have to come with us. If you want to help us, you'll have to talk to Sonic and Sally first".

The cloak shrugged.

"I haven't got a problem with that".

"Good. Let's move".

The two Freedom Fighters began to head back to their HQ, with the cloak in tow.

Whilst the two were indeed happy to find someone who was willing to help them fight, they couldn't help but take suspicious glances at him as they walked.

There was something that seemed particularly off about him, but they couldn't quite figure out what it was.

"Tails, this is Hershey" the female cat said into her communicator. "Just want to let you know that we're going to be having some...company".

* * *

The three wandered through the Headquarter's corridors without saying a word, greeted only by the continuous "Clomp. Clomp. Clomp" of the cloak's boots.

Despite finding a new ally, they were still quite uneasy with this whole situation. They knew literally nothing about this guy. All they could really see that allowed them to identify him was 1) His masculine shape and 2) What they could only assume were tufts of black hair poking out of the hood.

They could only imagine how everyone would react when they saw the weapons he had on his back.

The cloak didn't appear too worried though, judging by his relatively confident strides.

Eventually, the three found themselves standing in front of a door, marked "War Room"

Hershey and Geoffrey knew already that Tails would be waiting for them. It was just a question of who else would be there with him.

"If Tails has told anyone else about you, then they'll probably want to see you. In the meantime, you'd best wait here" Hershey told the cloak.

Their new ally simply nodded, opting to lean up against the wall next to them.

Geoffrey then knocked on the door.

"Come in" replied a voice.

As the two walked into the room, shutting the door behind them, they found almost every single key member of the Freedom Fighters standing around a table, seemingly waiting for their arrival.

Bunnie Rabbot, Antoine D'Coolette, Tails, Amy Rose, Julie-Su, Prince Elias Acorn and Princess Sally Acorn.

There was only one key member still yet to arrive.

"So, where's the hedgehog?" Geoffrey asked when the other Freedom Fighters acknowledged their arrival.

"He's on a "short run", according to him. I'll brief him when he gets back" The Princess replied.

Hershey and Geoffrey walked up to the table. Lying on it were several detailed schematics, showing off the whole of Robotropolis, including Robotnik's castle, several vehicle depots, troop barracks and the whole sewer system that ran underneath the whole complex.

"Alright, so apparently, the legion has organised a transfer of prisoners to Robotropolis from their base in the Shazamazon region".

"Any idea how many?"

"Unfortunately, no. However, they are apparently set to touch down within the complex in just a few hours. So if we're going to go through with this, we're going to need to act quickly."

If this ship is coming in from Shazamazon, then they're most likely to touch down here" Amy pointed out, indicating the most south-east vehicle bay on the schematic.

"There'll probably be an access point somewhere in that sector. We could use that to enter".

"Alright then. We know the drill. We go in, find the prisoners, get them out again."

"Then let's not waste any more time. Let's get going"

"Not just yet, I'm afraid." Sally replied, her tone in voice changing as she looked over at Hershey and Geoffrey. "Before we leave, I'd like to talk to you two about a little something. According to Tails, when you went out to deal with those five bogies earlier, you encountered...some help, I believe he referred to it as."

"Oh yes, the guy in the cloak. Basically, when Hershey and I were scouting those five bogies, Tails told us that there may have been a glitch on the radar, with six bogies being shown."

"Let me guess: the sixth bogie was this guy"

"Exactly. Completely out of the blue, this guy appeared and beat the crap out of them"

Hershey pointed to the small camera embedded on her chest plate.

"We have everything recorded if you need proof".

"Alright then. Tails, can you please get one of the recordings played back to us?"

Tails obliged, removing the memory card from Hershey's camera before inserting it into a slot on the computer, pulling up the most recent video file and opening it.

As the Freedom Fighters gathered around the screen, the footage began to play.

It was slightly shaky and the bush leaves made it difficult to make out what was happening, but eventually, the group were able to make out the five legionnaires...just as The Cloak dropped down and snatched up one of them.

The group then watched on as The Cloak proceeded to dismantle the remaining four before pinning the final guy with his boot and pulling a gun on him.

When the footage came to an end, the group stood in silence for a moment, processing what they had seen.

The sight of a group of legionnaires on the receiving end of a beatdown was nothing new to them. But what really caught their attention (asides from The Cloak pulling out a firearm) was the sheer viciousness of it. The amount of venom that seemed to go into every hit.

Eventually, Hershey turned to the group.

"So, what do you think?"

"A touch on the rough side, don't y'all think?"

"Okay, yes. We'll admit that perhaps he is a bit brutal, maybe even unnecessarily so. But the main thing is that this guy, whoever he is, took down five legionnaires by himself in the space of 50 seconds, which actually isn't too bad. Also, his guns weren't loaded. If he had wanted to kill them, then he probably would have done so. Regardless, though, he didn't".

The group took a moment to take all this information in.

"You do make a good point. Plus, this guy seems to fit the bill quite nicely. His battle style doesn't look like it could be too much of an issue".

Tails turned to Hershey and Geoffrey.

"Didn't you two say that you would be bringing him here?"

Just before Hershey could say another word, she was interrupted by a loud whooshing sound.

A gust of wind suddenly hit the Freedom Fighters as a flash of blue entered the room.

Standing before them, confident and proud was a blue hedgehog.

The fastest thing alive. Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Hey, I don't wish to alarm anyone..." The blue blur said to them, pointing outside. "...but there's this mean-looking guy standing out there. He's wearing all this combat gear."

"That's him" Geoffrey pointed out.

"Bring him in. We'd like to talk with him" Sally said to the hedgehog.

Sonic obliged, poking his round the door and saying to the cloak "The Freedom Fighters shall see you now"

Sure enough, the cloak entered the room, standing confidently before the crew.

"Freedom Fighters. It is a massive honor to be able to meet you" The cloak said to them, shaking the hands of each of the other warriors in turn, finishing with the Princess.

"First of all, allow us to thank you for your eagerness to help us in our fight" Sally said to him, impressed by the politeness of The Cloak. "Any help we can get is greatly appreciated. However, before we can come to a decision about whether or not to allow you to follow us into Robotropolis, we do have a small...concern"

The Cloak immediately clued into what Sally was trying to say.

"Let me guess: it's the weapons I have strapped to my back"

"Precisely that, yes. As you are probably aware, we operate under a "no kill" rule, making sure to avoid fatalities unless there is nothing we can do".

"Hey, that's alright. I don't plan on using my lethal weapons in combat anyway."

"They're only for intimidation purposes. Hershey and Geoffrey told us"

"Exactly, yes. But if it makes you feel any better, I can leave my weapons here and come back for them later"

"That works for us. Thank you"

The Cloak nodded, reaching underneath his cape and removing his guns and his blades one by one, leaving them on a small pile in the middle of the table, leaving just his utility belt and his Bo staff

There was a definite feeling of concern among the Freedom Fighters as they stared at the pile of weapons. Of course, they could clearly see that the guns were unloaded, but what about the blades?

Tentatively, Sally picked up one of The Cloak's machetes and ran her finger along the edge.

Nothing.

"That is possibly the bluntest sword I have ever felt"

"Told you I never intended to use them" replied The Cloak, seemingly happy that he was able to prove himself right.

Their thoughts returned to the task at hand.

"Alright. Everything seems in order" The Princess told the cloak, less apprehensive about bringing him with them. "All we need to do now is come to a decision. Team huddle!"

The Freedom Fighters all gathered around each other, speaking in hushed tones so that their visitor couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation.

Every once in a while, one of them would look briefly over at The Cloak before returning to the group.

"What does everyone think? Do we let him come with us or not?"

"Shucks, ah say go fer it. This fella clearly wants to help, so why not let him?"

"Oui, that is true, but I cannot 'elp but feel that there is something...off about 'im"

"Finally, something we can agree on, Antoine".

"Look, I can understand if all those weapons wigged you out but believe us, this guy knows what he's doing. Again, if he wanted to kill those guys, he probably would have. But the key thing here is that he didn't. Give this guy a go and maybe you'd be pleasantly surprised".

"I guess you're right"

"Oui"

Sally thought about this for a moment.

"Alright. Are we in agreement?"

The others nodded their heads.

The group left the huddle, their attention turning back to The Cloak, who was scratching an itch on the back of his neck.

"Good news." Sally said to The Cloak happily. "We've come to a decision and have decided to allow you to join us on our mission into Robotropolis".

Whilst the others couldn't see it, the Cloak smiled underneath his mask.

"Great. Thank you very much".

Sally then turned to the others.

"Alright, Freedom Fighters, ready up! We leave for Robotropolis in 15 minutes".

Eagerly awaiting their mission, the group left the room.

However, before The Cloak could leave, he was stopped when he felt someone place a hand on his shoulder.

Turning around, he found the Princess, a serious look on her face.

"If at all possible, I would like to have a talk with you"

Very soon, it was just the two left in the room together.

"I just want to make sure that you are aware of what you're getting yourself into. If the footage we've seen is anything to go by, then you can definitely hold your own in a fight. But this isn't just some place out in the forest. We're talking about going into the very heart of the Robotnik Empire. I don't mean to sound patronizing or anything, but all I ask or you is that you don't do anything stupid. We know the ins and outs of that city. Follow our lead and you'll make it out in one piece. Are we clear?"

The Cloak nodded.

"Crystal, your highness".

"Good"

Sally then reached into one of the pockets on her jacket, pulling out a small communicator and placing it in the palm of The Cloak's hand.

"Take this. If you ever happen to get separated from us, don't panic. Just lie low and activate it. We'll then try and get to you the first chance we get. Can we trust you with that?"

"You have my word" The Cloak replied, attaching the communicator to his wrist.

The Princess smiled.

"Excellent. Meet back here in 15 minutes".

The Cloak nodded, making his first moves to leave.

However, just before he stepped out of the door, he was stopped by Sally a second time as she realized something.

"I'm terribly sorry, but I think we forgot to ask about your name".

The Cloak held up a hand.

"No offense intended, Princess, but my identity is not something that I am willing to share, so as to protect the ones closest to me".

"That's alright. But still, we're going to need to refer to you by some sort of name".

"We can think about that later. Right now, we have more important things to deal with".


End file.
